Gunnison

Avalanche

Evan Ross Zach Kinler · Dec 16, 2019 · Gunnison

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Weather

Mostly Cloudy. Calm Wind. Dropping temps in the afternoon.

Snowpack

HS on this tour was in the 60 to 85cm range. The slab over the mid-pack surface hoar was to thin and soft. The whole snowpack over the depth hoar on the ground was the layer of concern. We found ourselves having to put some extra effort into getting a collapse. Though, when we could get a collapse it was multi slope scale. Traveling hundreds of feet and changing aspects. This was a classic Persistent Slab Setup. Few if any obvious signs to instability, until boom, a potential game over result. We were not pushing any steep terrain, we mostly saw shooting cracks on slopes near and below 30 degrees. Still these collapses remotely triggered two steeper pockets.

Avalanche

2 remotely triggered D1.5 Persistent Slabs failing on 3 to 4mm depth hoar near the ground. One on a NW aspect at 10,200ft and one on a N aspect at 9,700ft. More info in Snowpack Section.